The main piece of physical evidence for President Madison’s railing were pockets found on the brick walls of Montpelier's main block.  These pockets were made in ca. 1812 and used to securely anchor the ends of the railing's top rail.  When the railing was removed in ca. 1848, the resulting large, square holes were left in the masonry and filled with stucco.  When the stucco was removed, these holes provided the Restoration Team with the height and thickness of the long missing railing's top rail.  Additionally, paint lines were found associated with the holes in the masonry.  These paint lines not only gave the Restoration Team the railing's paint color but also indicated that a post had been installed against the brickwork in ca. 1812.